Citizens Advice Bureau - Annual Review 2025/26

FROM THE BEGINNING TO WHERE WE ARE The Citizens’ Advice Service was originally set up for the World War II effort to provide advice to the public on regulations and restrictions imposed during the war. It had been in the planning from 1935 by the then National Council for Voluntary Service and the National Council of Social Services (both now the National Council for Voluntary Organisations), and the government of the day when war seemed imminent. Glasgow had its own City of Glasgow Society of Social Service (now the Care Foundation) founded in 1874, providing all forms of social care on a voluntary basis eventually leading to statutory social work as we know it today. The City of Glasgow Society of Social Service, from its headquarters in 212 Bath Street and 6 district offices around the city, was already well equipped to venture into this new and additional ‘Citizens’ Advice Service’ which opened on 15 January 1939. It was the first of its kind in the country and was staffed entirely by volunteers remaining to this day as a volunteer-led organisation. The main purpose of the new service was to prepare for tracing missing persons, prisoners of war, issues arising from blackouts, rationing, food parcels, budgeting, homelessness, serving personnel at the South East Asia Command and social welfare. There was close co-operation with the British Red Cross Society and other voluntary agencies with training and lectures being delivered for volunteers and other agencies in and around Glasgow. In its first year this Citizens’ Advice Service had 8,000 enquiries. From the original talks with the NCVS, NCSS and government a National Citizens’ Advice Bureaux Council (becoming the National Association of Citizens’ Advice Bureaux, later trading as CitA) was formed in London to support its member bureaux UK-wide which were being set up from 1939. At that time the brand logo was a wise owl, and bureaux had to register with the National Council for quality assurance. When war was declared on 3 September 1939 there was then a network of agencies called Citizens’ Advice Bureaux ready to address the forthcoming challenges. The Citizens’ Advice Service in Glasgow also adopted the name Citizens’ Advice Bureau. When other CABx opened in Glasgow the original bureau became identified as the Glasgow (Bath Street) Citizens’ Advice Bureau. After the Clydebank blitz in 1941 when many parts of Glasgow were devastated the Town Clerk of Glasgow sought assistance from the City of Glasgow Society of Social Service and its Citizens Advice Bureau who deployed 54 volunteers to the Glasgow Corporation’s Emergency & Casualty Centre to help with shelter for those persons evacuated, victims of bombing and the task of identifying casualties who had been sent to nearby hospitals, establish who were missing and to where they may have been taken. The Glasgow (Bath Street) CAB helped set up other CABx in surrounding counties and gave training in civil defence. By the end of the war the Bath Street CAB had recorded 73,000 enquiries. Essentially the service was intended only for the duration of the war so, afterwards, there was some cessation of CABx service, but the Bath Street CAB continued operations without interruption. The City of Glasgow Society of Social Service opened two free-to-users legal dispensaries to complement the work of its CAB. Post war enquiries were mainly related to housing, social welfare, budgeting, relationships, children, the transition from wartime supplies & rationing and war pensions to resume near normal life. By 1946 the bureau had recorded 86,633 enquiries under 21 categories. By the 1960s some bureaux that had closed reopened and others were created. Enquiry levels increased with more publicity and brand recognition. Subject matter widened offering a more comprehensive service. Food Vouchers worth 2/6d (12.5p) were issued on behalf of the Glasgow Benevolent Society redeemable in selected city grocers and Model Lodging Houses were introduced. The 1960s saw a change in funding with grant aid coming from the Glasgow Corporation (now the Glasgow City Council). That then separated the bureau’s activities from the City of Glasgow Society of Social Service, but it remained with them as a tenant until the building was sold in 1990 and the bureau moved to 87 Bath Street. In the 1970s the bureau had around 75 volunteers with two paid staff to ‘organise’ the volunteers. In 1975, with more CABx having opened in Scotland, the Scottish Association of Citizens’ Advice Bureau (SACAB, later t/a CAS) was formed as a regional office of the National Association of Citizens’ Advice Bureau and in 1980 became an independent association serving its Scottish CABx members now standing at 58, of which 8 are in Glasgow. Many CABx also have extension offices serving local areas. Although part of a nationwide membership and network each bureau is autonomous having its own entity. CAS supports its member bureaux with a comprehensive Information System, Case Management, Quality Assurance Audits, IT, Policies, Insurances, Training, National Projects and Development. The bureau’s governance was reviewed in 1993, and it then became an incorporated company limited by guarantee with a Board of Directors (Trustees) in place of the former Management Committee. In August 1999 the Bureau relocated to 48 Albion Street and became the Glasgow (Albion Street) Citizens’ Advice Bureau but in March 2004 was renamed Glasgow (Central) Citizens’ Advice Bureau to reflect its city-wide coverage. In 2007 it moved to 88 Bell Street. The next major change was in 2017 when the bureau moved into the world-famous Mitchell Library at Charing Cross. It is in keeping that the UK’s oldest CAB is co-located and working together in partnership with one of the oldest and largest libraries in Europe originating in 1877. Funding has come from a variety of sources over the years but consistently from the Glasgow City Council and its forerunners and now operates from a cocktail of funding from different streams mostly, but not all, restricted for specific purposes. The service is free at point of service delivery to the citizens of Glasgow city-wide, is independent, impartial, confidential and is easily accessible. The Aims of the Citizens’ Advice Bureau are: • To ensure that individuals do not suffer through ignorance of their rights and responsibilities, or of the services available, or through an inability to express their needs effectively and equally. • To exercise a responsible influence on the development of social policy and services, locally and nationally.